The turbine section of a turbine engine includes one or more rows of stationary airfoils, commonly referred to as vanes or stationary blades. In some applications, each row comprises a plurality of vanes that are affixed to the inner periphery of a blade ring or other vane carrier. The rows of vanes are interspaced between rows of rotating airfoils, commonly referred to as blades. The relative positioning of two rows of airfoils, known as the clocking, can affect the efficiency of the turbine.
One method for clocking a row of airfoils is to rotate the blade ring so as to change the position of the attached airfoils. However, current clocking methods require the disassembly and/or removal of at least a substantial portion of the outer turbine casing that encloses the blade ring and to which the blade ring is attached. Such removal and/or disassembly can be expensive, time consuming, and labor intensive.
Thus, one object according to aspects of the present invention is to provide a method for clocking a row of airfoils relative to at least a preceding and/or subsequent row of airfoils. Another object according to aspects of the present invention is to allow for blade ring clocking without extensive disassembly of all or a part of the turbine. Yet another object according to aspects of the present invention is to facilitate rapid blade ring clocking. A further object according to aspects of the present invention is to provide a blade ring having one or more features to assist in blade ring clocking. These and other objects according to aspects of the present invention are addressed below.